Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
5 Jul 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
43
ID verified
Email verified
Badges (5)
Details
Description
Hello :) We are a couple from Belgium and India crafting a life for ourselves in Bulgaria. We are not new to hosting people via another website(Couchsurfing) for over 10 years now and meeting helpful people through Workaway has helped us create countless memories, forge genuine connections while
I am Karishma- an Indian living with my husband Arne (A Belgian) in a 150-year-old revival house in the picturesque area of Lyaskovets. It is in the Veliko Tarnovo region (14 km and 15-minute bus ride to the main City of Veliko Tarnovo. We also adopted a now 3year-old street dog- Burphy who completes our current happy family. We are expanding our family this Sept as we expect a tiny hooman :) Needless to say, our priorities have shifted a bit and any help around the house is welcome!
Cooking is my first love and eating and feeding are my second. Hence they go very well with each other :) While me and Arne both hosted and surfed galore on Couchsurfing (you can ask us for the link to check out the references ) over the last 10 years, we are now looking at hosting people more mid-term (1-3 weeks usually)before we welcome the new member of our family.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
House sitting
Interests
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Architecture
Animals
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Language- We speak 6 languages together- Me- Hindi, English, Bengali, learning Bulgarian and Dutch and Arne- Dutch, French, English, Bulgarian.
Help
If you like to see a small space transform in front of your eyes and don't mind getting your hands dirty, you will enjoy your stay here. Since the overall space is not massive, a lot of ground can be covered with basic tweaks within a short period.
If ANY 2 of the below is something you can help us with, do let us know-we want your help and want to host you!
This August we are now summer ready but are pending some aspects:
-House cleaning and maintainence
-Garden cleaning and maintanence- mowing, deweeding, clearing overgrown areas etc.
- Reorganizing where needed in some nooks.
-If you like cooking meals using our supplies, its a bonus since it really helps give me some break from the day to day cooking which is getting harder everyday as I get bigger.
-Taking our doggie Barfi for walks
From mid Dec/Jan onwards we are looking a housesitter for 12 -13 weeks in exchange for accommodation. Write to us if you are interested!
Your stay: Your own Private bedroom and bathroom + shared kitchen, outdoor balcony + garden area
We do not expect one person to be able to help in all, but depending upon capabilities, tackle what is possible- and if you tellus what you can help with we can make an informed decision in terms of if and how long we can have this exchange of help.
Languages
Languages spoken
Bengali (Bangla): Fluent
English: Fluent
Hindi: Fluent
Bulgarian: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
English, Hindi, French, Dutch, Bengali
Accommodation
We are right in the middle of the country. If you like nature, walking, biking, birdwatching, etc... this is the perfect place. The city of Veliko Tarnovo- the Medieval capital of Bulgaria is beautiful and the house is in the heart of the old town.
The most important thing:
We ask all our guests not to smoke inside the house (only outside in the garden) outside. Thank you!
We would like to highlight a few things in advance to ensure both you and us have a comforatble experience when sharing our home and life for the time you invest with us:
- As a cross-cultural couple- you will receive hospitality which will be a mashup of cultures and food diversity.
- We do lunches and Dinners together, and I usually cook most of the times. Guests are welcome to join us, or make thier own food using the supplies in our kitchen. We dont have time for breakfast and prefer guests to be independent enough to handle that on their own.
- We are digital nomads ourselves and live and work online, Hi-Speed Wifi is at your disposal.
- We like clear communication and strive to be as clear as possible when confirming duration (decided after we discuss what you are looking for and what our circumstances at the time allows us). We will always be able to confirm for upto 2 weeks to start with. This duration can can certainly be extended if both the below two scenarios play out:
A. you and us see being able to cohabit together for beyond upto 2 weeks, and
B. if our circumstances permit (based on time of the year, our own work schedules, and most importantly how much of an independent guest you are)
If the above two are applicable, then we will offer you the option to extend your sta beyond upto 2 weeks. The point is to give you the flexibility while also extending the same to us :)
- We are flexible with seasons- In summer you can be involved in the ourdoors/indoors and execute your own ideas. In winter, we can engage in other activities inside the house.
- We can not guarantee that you will be working with others or alone. It all depends on the season, weather, and our circumstances
- We can have varied tasks, sometimes exciting, sometimes maybe boring.
- We cultivate friendly relations with volunteers -the idea is to meet other travelers for a sustained amount of time each and create something lasting together with an exchange of culture and ideas
If the above fits your vibe- drop us a message :)
What else ...
You can explore the whole country from here alone via the Bulgarian Railway. There are lots of Waterfalls, hikes, nearby. Veliko Tarnovo is 14 kms away.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
As digital nomads ourselves- we understand the importance and requirements that come with the territory. We have fast internet for this and can set you up with a work corner in the house as well. I have quit smoking, while Arne vapes but always outside the house.
Space for parking camper vans
Parking of cars and Campervans is easily possible outside the house- we live in a quite part of the town.- 100 meters away from our front gate- since we live down a lane.
Can possibly accept pets
This is possible but with prior discussion to ensure all pets are comfortable. :) We can accept pets only with pior meeting with our doggy and if he gets along well with them. He was bullied as a stray dog and only allows his friends to enter his territory (he lives in our Yard).
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Barfi (3 years)
Feedback (20)
At the time I was there, plan was to help outside to get ready for summer, implying some gardening and storage.Tasks were easy and schedule very flexible, they made me feel more like a friend who give a hand than a hosted workawayer.
There is no doubt I will visit… read more
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
At the time I was there, plan was to help outside to get ready for summer, implying some gardening and storage.Tasks were easy and schedule very flexible, they made me feel more like a friend who give a hand than a hosted workawayer.
There is no doubt I will visit… read more
I was only there for a week, but it really felt like more! They showed me the village of Lyaskovets and introduced me to friends from Veliko Tarnovo.
It was a pleasure to collaborate on the cabin project, where I was able to contribute my… read more
He is handy with wood and open to new techniques around finishing works- he helped us get closer to finishing our project by covering the insulation… read more
Arne ensured there was materials and good tools, making the jobs enjoyable to do.
It wasn't all work. We had some very… read more
I would… read more
We were able to share a few afternoons with them and it was enough to know that they are good and kind people. This is also reflected in their friendships, which they introduced us to from the first day and they' re all beautiful people with whom you can share a good time and a nice chat.
The guys were very… read more
In this one and a half weeks there were little work, wich was partly due to the delays in delivery for the material of the tiny house. Therefore I wanted to help with the housekeeping, but they did not expect it from me. I had a lot of possibilities to… read more
Nous les avons aidé à la rénovation d'un mur et c'était très intéressant, nous avons appris de nouvelles choses.
Nous avons également rencontré leurs amis et avons passé de bonnes soirées en leur compagnie.
Nous avons eu le temps pour nous reposer également, pas de… read more
Don't be fooled by the few reviews they have on Workaway, these guys have a huge experience in hosting people, mainly through Couchsurfing, and it was clear from day one. So welcoming, nice, and easy going.
Careful about your personal space and free time, as much as willing to… read more
The weather made it hard for us to do much work but we helped where we could.
As the weather improves and their various projects develop there will be plenty of varied tasks to do and I have no doubt they will take a flexible and responsive attitude with future workawayers. They're just lovely… read more
